Cameron University sent a delegation of 15 students and faculty members to the 84th annual Oklahoma Speech-Theatre-Communication Association (OSTCA) conference, held Sept. 10 at Oklahoma City Community College. OSTCA’s annual convention offers communication and theatre scholars a forum to share research and professional opportunities on topics of educational, intellectual and social significance to their respective fields.

Dr. Justin Walton, Associate Professor in the Department of Communication, was honored with the Top Academic Faculty Paper at the convention. Walton’s paper, “Revising Carl Rogers’ Theory of Creativity: Implications for Communication Studies,” critiqued American psychologist Carl Rogers’ theory of creativity and supplemented it with contemporary scholarship in intercultural and instructional communication.

Dr. Paul Crandon, Assistant Professor of Communication, directed OSTCA’s second annual student public relations competition. In the competition, 22 students from different universities listened as the owners of the fast-growing restaurant Big Truck Tacos of Oklahoma City (the client company) gave a short presentation about the history, goals, and marketing strategies of their company. Students were divided into teams and had approximately two hours to prepare public relations strategic plans for the owners of Big Truck Tacos to consider. The submitted plans were evaluated by a panel of judges which included the two owners. Cameron senior Ippi Elliott of Lawton was a member of the third place team.

Three Cameron faculty members serve on the OSTCA Executive Board. Crandon serves as Vice President on the OSCTA Executive Board and will be involved in planning OSTCA’s next annual convention. Dan Schabot, CU Director of Forensics, serves as chair of OSTCA’s Forensic Division, and Tony Allison, Chair, CU Department of Communication, serves on the OSTCA Executive Board as Historian/Parliamentarian.